Sheet feeding mechanism



Oct. 4, 1938. A PEROPAT 2,131,967

SHEET FEEDiNG MECHANISM Filed Nov. 16 1957 7 INVENTOR. BY 0111-71011 Ferapal' 0 JMFLMW ATTORNEY.

Patented Get. 4 1%38 arren srares reat artist SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMApplication November 16, 1937, Serial No. 174,836

8 Claims.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanisms and more particularlyrelates to a novel kicker mechanism for sheets of relatively stiffpaper, for corrugated board, and the like.

.. Mechanisms operating upon sheets of corrugater board and the like arearranged with a kicker or sheet feeding mechanism 'which introduces onesheet at a time successively to the mechanism from a stack of the sheetsarranged in a. hopper.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simplesheet feeding mechanism which advances the sheet at a continuous rate tothe feed rollers.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a novel kickeroperating at a constant speed.

Other objects of my present invention will become apparent in thefollowing description of a preferred form of my invention illustrated inthe drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the mechanismtaken along of Figure 2; and

Figure 2 is an end elevational view partly in section as viewed from 22of Figure 1.

The individual stiff sheets are arranged in a stack l6 in a hoppercomprising adjustable sides l2 and I3 as is well known in the art. Thekicker mechanism includes a transverse bar l4 arranged to abut thebottom sheet of the stack H] and moved to the right to the coacting feedrolls |5|5 which rotate at a constant speed and introduce the bottomsheet l6 shown in dotted lines to the input of apparatus not shown butlocated to the left of Figure 1 as will be understood by those skilledin the art. The hopper and kicker mechanism are arranged upon the frameH in any convenient manner.

In accordance with my present inventioruthe kicker bar l4 isreciprocated across the bed IS with a substantially constant forward oradvanclng speed. The constant forward speed, i. e., from right to leftinFigure 1, occurs during the feeding of the bottom sheet IS. The kickerbar I4 is accurately guided by channel bars 20 riding in correspondingtracks in the bed l8 as seen in Figure 2. The center portion of thekicker bar i4 is secured to a rectangular bar 2| by welding,

50 .riveting or other means. The top surface of the bar 2| is fiushwiththe-top surface of the bed. l8. Bar 2| is fastenable with respect tothe rack member 22 by means ofa' thumbscrew 23 along different portions'ofrnember 22 to permit the variable positioning of the kicker bar Mwith respect to the forward edge of the sheet stack l.

The illustrated arrangement for securing bar 2| with respect to member22 comprises a further bar 24 set within a groove within the rack member22 and arranged parallel to the upper bar 2|. The thumb screw 23operates into a threaded portion in the bar 24 and through a clearancehole in the bar 2|. Thus when screw 23 is tightened, bars 2| and 24 arepressed together upon rack member 22 with the overhanging portions ofthe groove gripped therebetween as illustrated in the cross-sectionalview of Figure 2. The position of the kicker bar M is accordinglyadjusted with respect to the rack member 22 by the simple expedient ofloosening the thumb screw 23 and moving the bars 2| and 24 with respectto the rack member 22 until the kicker bar It is at the proper positionsomewhat ahead of the front edge of the stack l0 as will be evident tothose skilled in the art. The movement of the bars 2| and 24 is possibledue to the loosening of the screw member 23 which permits both bars tomove with respect to the groove in rack member 22.

The rack member 22 is oscillated across the bed l8 and carries with itthe kicker bar l4. Rack member 22 contains flanges which are guidedwithin the bed It! structure and maintained therein by a supplementalplate 25 enclosing the extending flanges of the member 22 as shown inFigure 2. In accordance with my invention, the rack member 22 is movedtowards the left during the sheet feeding operation at a constant speed.I accomplish this result by means of the segment gear 26 whichisfastened to a shaft 21 operated by suitable gearing 28, 29 and 30 fromeither the main drive source of the associated machine units or anindependent drive motor.

Segment gear 26 contains an arcuate surface 3| which abuts theprojecting section 32 located at the forward end of the rack member 22.The curvature of the arcuate portion 3| is designed to move rack 22 at apredetermined constant speed towards the left while surface 3| rollsagainst the coacting surface of the projecting portion 32 of rack22.

Rack 22 contains teeth 33 arranged to coact with the teeth of thesegment gear 26 as the arcuate surface 3| completes its coaction withprojecting member 32. The teeth of segment gear 26 are arranged at aconstant radial position from the center of shaft and coact with therack teeth 33 to continue the movement of the rack 22 at the samepredetermined speed to the left which arcuate surface 3I effected.

It will now be evident that the feeding movement of rack member 22towards the left is effected by the successive actions of the arcuatesurface 3I of the segment gear 26 and the subsequent driving action ofthe teeth of the segment gear 26 with the teeth 33 of the rack. It isfeasible to arrange the segment gear 26 to effect the constant speed offeeding of the sheets into the rollers I5 and to employ the initialmovement of the rack 22 by the arcuate surface 3| merely as a startingmovement for the rack. However, variations in the design of the segmentgear 26 are feasible and will be evident to those skilled in the art.

The .rack 22 is accordingly moved toward the left at a predeterminedrate during the coaction of the segment gear 26 with the rack member.The transverse kicker bar I4 is mechanically secured to the rack member22 in a manner hereinabove described and abuts the bottom sheet I6 ofthe stack I and moves sheet I6 at a constant speed between the feedrollers II5. The predetermined speed of movement of the rack 22 duringfeeding is preferably arranged to equal the peripheral velocity of thefeed rollers I5 to avoid pulling of the sheets and provide a smooth andsatisfactory feeding action by the rollers.

80 The return movement, towards the right, of the rack member 22 andtherefore the kicker bar I4 is effected by means of a cam 35 whichoperates bell crank lever 36. Cam 35 is driven from the common gearing29-30 which drives the segment gear 26 through a further gear 31 securedto shaft 38. Cam 35 is keyed to shaft 38. Cam follower 46 is secured toone end of the bell crank lever 36. The other end H of bell crank lever36 is pivotally connected to a link 42 which in turn is pivotallyconnected to a lug 43 integral with the right end of the rack member 22.

Return cam 35 is designed to gradually and continuously move camfollower 46 radially outwardly with respect to shaft 38 between theintervals of sheet feeding. The illustrated position of the mechanism inFigure l is near the end of the return movement, to the right, of therack 22 and just at the beginning of the feeding action, to the left. Asbell crank lever 36 is rotated clockwise by cam 35, rack 32 is movedtoward the right to its initial position as will now be evident tocomplete the cycle of feeding.

Segment gear 26 and cam 35 are both rotated in the same directionalthough not necessarily so, to alternately and successively effect theforward feeding action of the sheets through the kicker bar I4v and thereturn of the kicker bar I4 to its initial position. The forward feedingaction to the left during the interval which the kicker bar I4 engagesthe bottom sheet I6 of the stack I0 is at a constant speed preferablyequal to the peripheral speed of the feed rollers I5. The return motionof the kicker bar I4 need not be at a constant speed. 1

Although I have described a preferred form for carrying out myinvention, it will be evident that modifications are feasible which fallwithin the broader spirit and scope of my invention and accordingly I donot intend to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding a sheet of said stack at a substantiallycontinuous rate including a kicker bar for coacting with an edge of saidsheet, a rack member securable to said kicker bar, and means formotivating said rack member at a continuous rate in the feedingdirection comprising a completely rotated segment gear having teethcyclically coacting with saidrack and a surface portion for initiallymotivating said rack member in the feed; ing direction before said teethcoact, said gear being disengaged from said rack during the return saidrack teeth and mechanism for returning said rack to its initial feedingposition while disengaged from said segment gear.

3. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding an outer sheet of said stack at asubstantially continuous rate including a kicker bar for coacting withan edge of said sheet, a rack member securable to said kicker bar havingteeth, and means for motivating said rack member comprising a completelyrotated segment gear having teeth for cyclically coacting with the rackteeth, and means for returning said rack to its initial sheet feedingposition and means for rotating said segment gear out of coaction withsaid rack and into its initial coacting position during the returnmovement of said rack.

4. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding an outer sheet of said stack at 'asubstantially continuous rate including a kicker bar for coacting withan edge of said sheet, a rack member securable to said kicker bar havingteeth, means for motivating said rack member comprising a. segment gearhaving teeth for coacting with the rack teeth, and means for returningsaid rack to its initial sheet feeding position comprising a bell-cranklever attached to said rack, and a cam operating against said leverafter the sheet feeding portion of the operating cycle, and means forcontinuously driving said cam and said segment gear whereby said gear isdisengaged from said rack while said bell-crank lever returns said rackto the initial sheet feeding position.

5. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding the bottom sheet of said stack towards apair of feed rollers at a substantially continuous rate including akicker bar for coacting with an edge of said sheet, a rack membersecurable to said kicker bar, said rack member having teeth and aprotruding surface portion, means for motivating said rack membercomprising a segment gear having teeth for coacting with the rack teethduring the feeding portion of the operating cycle, a surface of saidsegment gear being arranged to coact with the rack protruding surfaceportion at the initial feeding portion of said operating cycle, saidgear being disengaged from said rack during the return portion of thecycle.

6. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for,carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding the bottom sheet of said stack towards apair of feed rollers at a substantially continuous rate including akicker bar for coacting with an edge of said sheet, a rack membersecurable to said kicker bar having teeth, a protruding surface portionat one end of said rack, means for motivating said rack membercomprising a segment gear having teeth arranged at a substantiallyequi-radial position on said gear for coacting with the rack teethduring the feeding portion of the operating cycle, the forward surfaceof said segment gear being arranged to coact with the rack protrudingsurface portion at the initial feeding portion of said operating cyclefor motivating said rack before said gear teeth engage the rack teethfor initiating the continuous substantially constant advance of saidkicker bar by said rack in feeding the sheet, said segment gear teethbeing disengaged from said rack teeth at the end of the feeding portionand during the return portion of the cycle.

'7. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stackof sheets and means for feeding the bottom sheet of said stack towards apair of feed rollers at a substantially continuous rate including akicker bar for coacting with an edge of said sheet, a rack membersecurable to said kicker bar having teeth, and a protrudingsurface'portion at one end of said rack, means for motivating said rackmember comprising a segment gear having teeth for coacting with the rackteeth during the feeding portion of the operating cycle, the forwardsurface of said segment gear being arcuate and arranged to coact withthe rack protruding surface portion at the initial feeding portion ofsaid operating cycle for motivating said rack at a continuous rate inthe feeding direction before said gear teeth engage the rack teeth forinitiating the continuous substantially constant advance of said kickerbar by said rack in feeding the sheet, said segment gear teeth beingdisengaged from said rack teeth at the endof the feeding portion andduring the return portion of the cycle.

8. A sheet feeding mechanism comprising a hopper for carrying a stack ofsheets and means for feeding the bottom sheet of said stack towards apair of feed rollers at a substantially continuous rate including akicker bar for enacting with an edge of said sheet, a rack membersecurable to said kicker bar having teeth; and a protruding surfaceportion at one end of said rack, means for motivating said rack membercomprising a segment gear having teeth arranged ata substantiallyequi-radial position on said gear for coacting with the rack teethduring the feeding portion of the operating cycle, the forward surfaceof said segment gear being arranged to coact with the rack protrudingsurface portion at the initial feeding portion of said operating cyclefor motivating said rack before said gear teeth engage the rack teethfor initiating the continuous substantially constant advance of saidkicker bar by said rack in feeding the sheet, and means for returningsaid rack to its initial sheet feeding position comprising a bell-cranklever attached to said ANTHONY F. PEROPAT.

